Love is an Essential Need

By. Aisha Isreal, Host of Candid Conversations

A basic human need is something we depend on to function and survive. 
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Would you agree that water is a basic human need? Let’s say you do. You may have heard that water makes up more than 50% of our bodies. In order for our organs to function properly, we have to drink a certain amount of water daily. Now, let me ask you this: If we are made of mostly water, why do we need to drink water daily? Interesting, right?

Well, feel free to ponder the query about that particular basic human need while I transition to another: Love.

Percentage-wise, I have no idea how much of our bodies is made of love because in actuality, Love is an essential need for more than just our bodies. We need love for all that we are (body, mind/soul, spirit) in our human totality.

How did I arrive at this conclusion, you ask?

Well, if God not only created love, but is indeed Himself, love, and we are created in His image, then it seems reasonable and logical to conclude that we, too, are love.
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In fact, Science points to and in many cases has proven through research that we were, created from the beginning, designed and purposed for love.

So, if we are love, how much love do we need to receive daily?

Think about it.

When we are loved properly and unconditionally, we thrive. When we attempt to exist in an environment void of love, we die, figuratively and literally.

When we have someone in our lives who we can count on time and time again, someone who meets our needs, someone who encourages and inspires us, someone who admires us and appreciates us, and even forgives our mistakes, we rise. We feel confident. We feel safe. And in turn, we are courageous and powerful.

I could ask “Where, as a human race, have we gone wrong?” But that may be too grand of a question to answer fully in a 500-word article.

So, instead, let’s stay right here and focus solely on love. How to find it, if you haven’t yet. How to make it better if you have. How to be sure if the relationship you’re currently in, has it.

My wise mother once said to me “If you become an expert on the authentic, it will be next to impossible to be fooled by a counterfeit.”

Authenticity is essential to your happiness, your joy, and for creating your pathway to true love.

To do this properly and effectively, you must start with YOU. You are God’s creation.

Depending on your experiences, you may have been molded into something magnificent or beaten into something unrecognizable; but at your core, there is a desire for love because it is part of your make-up. It is a basic human need.

Get to know yourself better, more deeply so that you are confident in the choices you make, knowing those choices are leading you in the direction you are intentionally headed. Know for sure what makes you happy, what gives you strength and encouragement, vs. what tears you down or weighs you down.

Don’t confuse compromising - an artform you’ll need to learn to have longevity in a loving relationship - with settling.

Keep in mind that just because love is a basic human need, there is no need to “throw” love at any and
everything that comes along.

Know your worth and what you deserve. And if you’re in a place where you feel like you don’t deserve much or anything, let’s explore that so we can change that.

At the end of the day, be sure to get the best out of life. It’s debatable that “all we need is love.” But I’m certain that we all need love.